Buggy for Fluency and a Freebie

When I began the school year, I had 66 students about 1/3 of them were reading 2 grade levels behind...

Yes, I even had 10 or so testing on a Kindergarten Level.  

My job was not only to get them reading on a 3rd grade level, 

but also to get them prepared for our state test in April.  HUM....Yeah.  I felt no stress at all.  

So, number one on my list - reading on or close to grade level.  I fluency test every 3 weeks.  They are also required to read 45 minutes per night.  

I work in a district with a LOT of movement.  Students come and go all the time. Right now, I have about 56 of the same students.  

We're on our 4th 6 weeks and my fluency testing shows that 27 or half of them are Beyond 3rd Grade Reading Level (most at 5th Grade Level).  

I am H*A*P*P*Y to announce that all of the other 29 students are reading atleast 50 wpm on a 3rd Grade Level!  

I know that isn't "on grade level". 

But from Kinder to 3rd is a huge improvement... 

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Of course, we're still working on becoming GOOD readers.  

I wanted to give the students something to strive for!

So...I invented...The Buggy Board.  

Students earn their "BUG" and get to put it on my broken cabinet door.  

I also give them an certificate to take home with their report card as well and if you'd like one, click the pic below for a freebie!

I want to link this freebie at Manic Monday...

Diane @ Teaching with Moxie is doing a Photo Challenge of One Thing You Love in your Classroom or at School.  

I saw a lot of posts about technology and items people Love at School.  

I'm just now getting some technology in my classroom and although it's incredibly exciting for both me and the students...

Right now, I'm loving my Buggy Board because it gives my kids an incentive and it fulfills my commitment to be data driven. 

This Little Piggy Can't Wait for Spring Break!

Great Work Spotted!

What's going on in your world?  I thought I'd show you what we're working on right now.  First up, my "GREAT WORK SPOTTED Board"  I l-o-v-e it!  It's very simple - coordinating scrapbook paer with a clothes pin glued on.  I got blue, green and white from CVS in their $1 bin.  What do you think?

Next up, my favorite classroom activity.  I call it "Round the Room".  My students are already broken up into  heterogeneous groups.  I normally use worksheet questions from our weekly story or I write Q's to go along with it and put them up around the room.  I give students 3 minutes per station and they move in a clockwise motion and answer on a notecard.  

 

We're working on drawing conclusions this week (it's our 2nd spiral this semester) and most of my kiddos did excellent today!  We followed the "I Do, We Do, You Do" model - which is how I do most things in my classroom.  My students this year are awesome when it comes to academic talk (I think it's because they love talking so much).  They LOVE working together and they have gotten very good at using text evidence to prove their answer is correct.  

In Social Studies, we began our Economy Unit.  I'm actually about 2 weeks behind on our scope and sequence because of pull-outs.  3 days a week, more than 1/2 my class gets pulled.  I'm excited about this Economy Lapbook by Amber Polk!  Shhhh...so are my kids!

Yes, This Little Piggy Worked Today.

A Little Nervous

This is my first post onto 3-6 Free Resources and I'm a little nervous.  If I mess up on my blog...I just edit my mistake.  However, if I mess up on a collaborative board, now that's embarassing!!  Cross your fingers...

I'm not sure why, but my students are really struggling with prefixes and suffixes this year.  So, I've got to make some adjustments before April, a.k.a. testing month.  I made these cute free bookmarks that students can color and fill in their own example.  Either click the pic below or if you'd like to download and save it, click the pink pic below to go to my store & download the preview.

If your kiddos are struggling too or if you need a new literacy station - take a look at the whole pack (TEKS aligned)!  It includes 2 different bookmarks, classroom posters (2 to a page), a game with recording sheets and a quick assessment/exit ticket (STAAR STYLE).

This Little Piggy is getting an iPad - Squeal!

Friday Linky and a Guessing Game

I have seen this linky party for a few weeks now and as much as I love a linky, on Friday I don't normally turn on my computer.  Today is different, I left work at 3:30, picked up my daughter around 4 and we were home by 4:10!  WOO HOO.  Stop by Doodle Bugs Teaching and Link Up too!

#1) First off, EVERYONE in the 3rd Grade PASSED their Weekly Reading Assessment (Cause & Effect)!!  You don't understand what an accomplishment that is.  It's pretty darn amazing!  I did have a few who had to do a 2nd take and work on their strategies, but once they used text evidence to prove their answers...they passed with flying colors!  YIPPIE!

#2) This Valentine's Day was possibly the best one I've ever had at school!  

I found this on pintrest...

and I just had to do it.  Isn't she adorable?  

I should have used construction paper and cut out hearts and made the kids wear red shirts (note to self: remember this for next year).  This is my version.  I had the students make cards for their "loved ones". 

 

 I think they turned out great & my kiddos loved them:)  

For some reason, I didn't take any pics of our V-Day card exchange.  It was very low key this year.  

#3) I sold my 1st piece of clipart this week! Yeah!  

#4) My two teacher bestie's made the cutest little 100 year old kidlets! 

This one is my FAVORITE...

Don't you love how he has a bald spot....te-he-he.

#5) Our district didn't do "steps" for years of service this year (or last year, or the year prior), instead (this year only) we get a bonus.  We got 70% in December and I get the other 30% in March!  I completely forgot about it until someone mentioned it today...guess what I'm buying?

Seriously, the first person to comment and guess what I'm buying with my bonus will get my Spring Chickies Clipart for FREE!

This Little Piggy is having (beef) BBQ for dinner...yummy!

I got an ELMO and Manic Monday

Friday was our 2nd Field Trip of the Year. Our bus ride there was 2 hours and we left 20 min. early, so we were walked in at curtain call.  Yes, I took lots of headache meds that day.  Aside from the HORENDOUS bus trip, I think my students enjoyed the musical and had an experience they would normally never have.

When I returned to school on Thursday (after my ankle issues)...I found my ELMO ready to go!  HOW AWESOME!  

Other great news...I opened my e-mail this morning and I was shocked to see an invitation from Misty @  Think, Wonder and Teach to become a part of one of my favorite websites 3-6 Free Resources.  Of course I accepted!!  How cool is that?  

Here's my Manic Monday Link-Up. 

 I plan to use this for my Fast Finishers. Click here to download it.

This Little Piggy has an Eval tomorrow...wish me LUCK!

Crutches and V-Day Cootie Catcher {3rd & 4th Math}

I'm stuck on the couch!  Seriously...I fell yesterday and twisted my ankle.  It's now about 4x it's normal size. OUCH!  My husband is picking up crutches this afternoon.

On the positive side, I was able to work on a lot of products today.  I think I need more things in my TpT store.  

I had a TON of hits and a Great Deal of purchases on my 100 Day Cootie Catcher for Upper Elementary.  Since I was stuck on the couch today, I made one for V-Day!  I also included the CCSS and TEKS alignment.  It's on Sale for $1.00 until Monday, Feb. 11th.  Click on the picture to buy it.  Feel Free to pin it!

But...since you're my Sweet Lil' Followers, I made you a FREEBIE!  It's all about opinions.  This is a fun activity you can do at your V-Day Party or for Bell Work.  Click either picture to download.  

I'm going to link these up with All Things Upper Elementary.

If you haven't noticed, I have been working on simple clipart.  It's very basic, but I enjoy making it.  I try not to charge more than $1 for it.  I hope someone will find them useful.  My daughter insired these.  She started acting like a birdie last night and voila!  Her fav is Blue Birdie and mine is Pink Birdie.  

While I was typing this Blogpost - cha-ching - I officially paid for my Premium Membership within 10 days of purchasing it!  Yippie.  I know this isn't a huge milestone for many, but I am relieved and now hubby might understand why I spent the $$. 

This Little Piggy Hopes Some of You Can Use my Freebies!

V-Day Bunting and The Mystery Stapler

I printed, laminated and cut my V-Day Bunting...I even got my ribbon ready!  Then, I realized I don't have a stapler at home! HUH?  I had an AWESOME purple hand grip stapler and I took to school with me.  Someone else thought it was AWESOME too because they walked off with it.

This is a freebie from my store.  Click here if you'd like to download it before V-Day!  Since it's kind of a long pennant, you could print "multiple pages up" and print 2 pages onto 1 page and triangles will be about 1/2 of the size shown.  I am happy with the way it turned out...let's see if I can get it hung up prior to V-Day!

My students had an issue at my computer station.  They didn't know where to go or what to do and they wanted to interrupt me because neither did their partners.  Well, used www.weebly.com to make a classroom website!  It's free.  I made it my homepage at work and I gave my students the website so they can utilize it at home.  It's very user friendly and my kids love the colors.  In the last 2 weeks, not one student has bothered me during small groups.  It gives them links to AR, Scholastic and Study Island.  

My store is still on sale for a few more hours.  I've added over 6 new items this weekend.  My Freebie Nov/Dec Spelling Choice Boards were my most popular Free Download.  I went ahead and made a packet of yearly Spelling Choice Boards! 

I just put up a vocabulary graphic organizer that elicits higher level thinking skills.  

This Little Piggy had an excellent TpT Sale!  

Penguin Clipart & 2 FREEBIES!

I'm up way too late.  I spent my day off-task and didn't finish lesson plans.  We have a field trip this week and I have a 1/2 Day Tuesday...so I know that it's going to be a weird week.   Monday is planned, prepped and ready so I guess I'll finish up tomorrow night.  I did work on some clipart today.  I wish I could afford photoshop to make professional looking art.  Right now, I just play around and hope things come out well.

Last week my students read Penguin Chick from Treasures and honestly I couldn't find the Penguin clipart I wanted...so I ended up making it.  My husband LOVED it.  I think it turned out pretty darn cute!  My store is still on sale on Monday if you're interested in picking it up for around $1.20, click here.

As I was making my penguins, I started thinking...that kind of looks like a bunny!  So...here's my freebie.  It's Eggy Clipart.  It includes, eggs with dice dots 1-5, 3 eggs with bunnies on them and a basket filled with eggs.  I'm going to Link up with Manic Monday.  I don't think I'm supposed to link to my store, but I don't know how to link to it any other way.

Here's a Bonus Freebie you can grab by clicking on the pic!

 This Little Piggy wishes she had a 3-day weekend!

It's Currently Time & a Tutoring Freebie

All of my new TpT products have a Chevron cover.  I'm a little obsessed with Chevron and Grey at the moment.  It's sooooo not me.  I'm a Polka-Dot and Turquoise kind of girl.  Is it odd I describe myself using patterns??

I want some seriously awesome STAAR scores this year.  With the phase in, you would think I wouldn't be stressed, right?  Nope, I'm not happy with my data.  I taught Saturday School...do you need more proof?

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/This-Little-Piggy-Reads

We all know there's a sale this Sunday.  What are you going to buy?  I'm going to get clipart.  This is actually my 1st Sale as a Store:)  My goal is to sell enough this qtr. to pay for my premium membership.  I'm on track...let's hope it works out.  I finally finished my Spelling Choice Menu Boards.  I use these every week for Homework.  

My students have Reading Tutoring on Tuesday and Math Tutoring on Thursday.  As students enter my room (every day) their first question is..."Do we have tutoring today?"  I see 66 kids per day, so on #22 I'm sick of hearing that question.  I decided to make some signs to put outside my door.  I have a page protector outside my door and I will just slide these into it.  Click here or on the pic to get them for FREE:)

 Hop by and join in on Mary's Giveaway at Pitner's Potpourri.  I'm giving away my Non-Fiction Text Feature's Game that you can use with any book.  

This Little Piggy is excited about her 1st SALE!